Wild Chickens

[GwenLBridges]

Yeah, some can really fly. My Sebright can clear the house, but not at 5 weeks, I don't think.

Now the grown hens & roosters will get on top of the dang house. 2 story house that is....they are different than farmhouse chickens for sure. These biddies can still fit in the palm of my hand and me close it. I almost wonder if she is giving them a lift up there one at a time...guess it is camera time to see

 

[raingarden]

They don't have to fly much to go from branch to branch. The hen teaches them how to do it over the course of weeks. At roosting time, the chicks are so intent on getting up under her that they will try anything to follow her. They continue until there is no way they will all fit under the hen any more and they have to space themselves out along the branch. At that point, the hen's job is done and she will start to wean them.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Now the grown hens & roosters will get on top of the dang house. 2 story house that is....they are different than farmhouse chickens for sure. These biddies can still fit in the palm of my hand and me close it. I almost wonder if she is giving them a lift up there one at a time...guess it is camera time to see

That'll be fun to see! I hope you post what you see here!

 

[Aunt Angus]

The branches start about 2 ft from the ground. These biddies are so tiny it is just hard for me to believe they were capable of jumping or flying that high to jump branch to branch. I did not know how the mother was able to get them that high. I just have never seen that before.

I put my Leghorns out in the run with the big birds to start integration at 3 weeks (it was in the 70s during the day). I made a separate area for them in the corner of the run using 3ft chicken wire, thinking they couldn't jump out. I was wrong! I heard them peeping loudly and found them trying to figure out how to get back in to their food. They didn't have anything to use as a jumping off point, either. They just jumped over.

But I LOVE the camera idea!!!